Google's latest offering Shoploop is similar to what Walmart-owned Flipkart launched a week ago

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Google's latest offering Shoploop is similar to what Walmart-owned Flipkart launched a week ago
ShoploopGoogle Shoploop/Screenshot
  • Google has launched an interactive video shopping platform called Shoploop, which will help people get the look and feel of the products they want to buy.
  • Interestingly, in early July, Flipkart in India had already rolled out a similar product.
  • Flipkart had announced its foray into social commerce with 2GUD – which offers a video-based social experience curating content from influencers on fashion, gadgets and more.
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From global players like Google, Amazon, Facebook to Reliance Jio and Flipkart closer home, the e-commerce space is heating up, once again thanks to the customers who are still wary of going into crowds at physical retail outlets.

In the latest move, Google has launched an interactive video shopping platform called Shoploop, which will help people get the look and feel of the products they want to buy. Through the feature, users can browse through videos (which will be less than 90 seconds) and get product reviews from real people.

Google said that Shoploop is focussed on content creators and store owners in the beauty segment across categories like makeup, skincare, hair and nails.

Interestingly, in early July, Flipkart in India had already rolled out a similar product. Flipkart had announced its foray into social commerce with 2GUD – which was Flipkart’s independent platform for refurbished goods. 2GUD offers a video-based social experience curating content from influencers on fashion, gadgets and more.

“Consumers quite often face trust and style deficits. In a situation like this, recommendations from a person like yourself or an influencer play a critical role. Influencers are changing the landscape of online retail and bringing greater opportunities for social commerce platforms in India,” said Chanakya Gupta, Head of 2GUD at Flipkart.

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Walmart had recently invested $1.2 billion in Flipkart in an equity round, two years after it bought a 77% stake in the Indian retail giant for $16 billion.

Everybody wants to go shopping

But Google and Flipkart aren’t the only ones shopping for users. Facebook’s Instagram has finally officially rolled out the feature Shop and has also integrated Facebook Pay for purchases and donations. Through the ‘Shop’ tab on Instagram, users can browse through images and then click on it to directly go to the seller’s website.

Earlier in May, Facebook had rolled out the Shop feature on the main platform. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had recently spoken about how the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in many businesses shutting down their physical storefronts and this brings about the need to build digital storefronts.

Facebook had also invested $5.7 billion into Reliance Jio led by Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani. “By bringing together JioMart, which is Jio's small business initiative to connect millions of shops across India with WhatsApp, we think that we're going to be able to create a much better shopping and commerce experience. And there's a lot more that we can do here, and I'm looking forward to making progress with the team at Jio,” he said during Facebook’s earnings call in April.

Interestingly, the latest addition to Jio’s investment spree was a $4.5 billion cheque from Google.
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All of this while, Amazon continues to build a steady presence in India. Amazon had invested ₹2300 crore or $305 million into its Indian arm, following Jeff Bezos $1 billion investment promise to India. Earlier this year, Amazon had also signed a long-term business agreement with Kishore Biyani’s Future Group.

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